Predators at Senators
The Nashville Predators will have their sights set on first place in the Central Division when they continue their four-game road trip Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. Nashville pulled within one point of Winnipeg for the top spot in the division on Wednesday, when they overcame a two-goal deficit in Toronto before falling 3-2 in a shootout.
The Predators bring a five-game road point streak (3-0-2) into the Canadian capital and are 9-1-3 in their last 13 overall contests. They will face the Senators without second-leading scorer Filip Forsberg (38 points), who will finish serving the three-game suspension he received for interference against the New York Rangers on Saturday. Ottawa is coming off its third win in four games, a 5-3 home triumph over New Jersey on Tuesday in which Matt Duchene scored a goal and set up two others. The 27-year-old has recorded five points in his last four contests and hasn't been kept off the scoresheet in consecutive games since Dec. 30 and Jan. 3.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (32-12-8): Viktor Arvidsson scored his 18th goal of the season Wednesday to break a tie with Kevin Fiala for the team lead. A 24-year-old Swedish forward, Arvidsson is riding a four-game point streak (three goals, two assists) and has collected six goals and four assists over his last nine contests. Fiala was kept off the scoresheet by the Maple Leafs after back-to-back two-goal performances and three straight games with a point.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (18-25-9): Mike Hoffman is heating up as he has collected two goals and four assists during his four-game point streak, tallying in each of his last two contests. The 28-year-old left wing is six goals away from recording his fourth consecutive 20-goal season and one shy of 100 for his career. Mark Stone leads the team in goals (18) and points (44) despite missing the last eight games with a knee injury but expects to return to the lineup either against Nashville or at Toronto on Saturday.
OVERTIME
1. Senators C Derick Brassard (undisclosed) missed Tuesday's contest and is day-to-day.
2. Nashville D Ryan Ellis notched an assist in his second straight game Wednesday, leaving him one away from 100 for his career.
3. Ottawa C Jean-Gabriel Pageau is expected to appear in his 300th NHL game on Thursday.